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The auction gala last month at Shrine of St. Jude Catholic Church raised $95,193, almost double the parish goal of $50,000, to support St. Jude Catholic School.

More than 320 past and present parents, alumni, friends and supporters attended the gala, which took place on Feb. 27 at the church and school campus in Aspen Hill. More than 100 parishioners, friends and businesses supported the event as patrons, advertisers and contributors.

The Rev. J. William Hines, St. Jude's pastor, welcomed the guests to the sold-out event.

"All of us, especially the students, are grateful for your support," he said in a prepared statement. "It is absolutely amazing what highly talented and dedicated people can do when they come together to support our St. Jude Catholic School."

The theme of the gala was "Remember, where your treasure is, there your heart is also."

A silent auction included 195 donated items, including seats for the University of Maryland versus Duke basketball game on March 3.

The event raised $22,000 for the school's Treasured Hearts Fund, which assures that students in need are able to participate in class trips and have necessary school supplies and emergency and temporary tuition assistance.

An award was also presented to Joan Lacey for more than 30 years of service as a teacher at St. Jude School.

Lions Club breakfast benefits Rockville Baseball Association

The arrival of spring means two things: a new baseball season and the Rockville Lions Club's Pancake and Sausage Breakfast. The Rockville Lions are inviting you to support both this weekend.

The all-you-can-eat breakfast will be held Saturday from 7:30 a.m. until noon in the student center cafeteria on the Rockville Campus of Montgomery College. Price is $7 for adults, $4 for children ages 6 to 12, and free for children under age 6.

Proceeds from the event support the club's community activities, including sponsoring teams in the Rockville Baseball Association and honoring middle school students who perform at least 50 hours of community service during the school year.

New code of conduct

for city parks, programs

If you have ever wondered how to behave while visiting a Rockville park, the city's Department of Recreation and Parks is spelling it out.

The department is launching the Rockville Rzone, a new code of conduct that lays out a set of procedures for residents to report cases of violence, vandalism or inappropriate behavior at city facilities and parks or in city programs.

"What I think is great about the Rzone initiative is that Rockville is being proactive in letting our residents and guests know what is expected of them," said recreation program manager Jon McLaren.

The Rzone applies to all community organizations and individuals using City of Rockville facilities and participating in city programs. All forms of violence, vandalism or inappropriate behavior are unacceptable, according to the code of conduct.

Incidents can be reported to a staff member at any indoor facility. If a staff member is not present, or if the situation occurs at an outdoor facility, the city should be informed at Rzone@rockvillemd.gov and an incident report should be completed on-line at www.rockvillemd.gov/rzone. All incidents, which should be reported within 24 hours, will remain confidential, according to the city.

Supporting cancer

program through art

Works of art from local artists will be on display at Montgomery General Hospital's fifth annual Art Show on Sunday.

The show will take place 1-4 p.m. at The Inn at Brookeville Farms, located at 19501 Georgia Ave. in Brookeville.

The show will feature works in various media, including pieces by students from Sherwood High School in Sandy Spring and Our House job training program in Brookeville.

Proceeds from the show will benefit Montgomery General Hospital's Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Dr. Isabella Martire, an Olney oncologist and chair of the hospital's cancer committee, will serve as mistress of ceremonies and is also a featured artist.

After losing her sister to breast cancer in 2005, Martire began painting and has since become a member of the Art League and Bin Gallery at the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria Va.

Another featured artist is Barbara Meade Piegari. Throughout her career as an art teacher, Piegari has produced many works of art in a variety of mediums, though she is partial to oil painting with brushes and palette knives.

A preview hour from noon to 1 p.m. is open to individuals who contribute $150 or more annually to the Comprehensive Cancer Center.

To learn more about contributing or for further information on the art show, contact Kathy Parry 301-570-7201 or kparry@MontgomeryGeneral.com.

Women's History Month to be celebrated at Rockville Library

In celebration of March being Women's History Month, Montgomery County Public Libraries will hold a special keynote program, "Writing Women Back into History," next week.

The program will feature A'Lelia Bundles at 7 p.m. March 23 at the Rockville Memorial Library located at 21 Maryland Ave. in the Town Square.

Bundles is the great-great-granddaughter of philanthropist, social activist and pioneer of the black hair care and cosmetics industry Madam C.J. Walker. The Emmy Award-winning producer and former ABC News executive is the author of "On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker." She has appeared on network television shows and has spoken at the Library of Congress, London's City Hall and Harvard University.

The program is made possible through a grant provided by the Montgomery County Friends of the Library.

To request American with Disabilities Act accommodations or to receive more information about the event, call the library at 240-777-0140 at least five work days in advance of the program.

Items appropriate for this column should be sent to Nathan Carrick, The Rockville/Aspen Hill Gazette, 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, Md. 20877; faxed to 301-670-7182 or 301-670-7183; or e-mailed to ncarrick@gazette.net. Deadline is Thursday at 5 p.m. for consideration for the following week. Items are subject to editing and used on a space-available basis.